Lions' Sione Vaki ready to put frustrating offseason behind him and show coaches and teammates what he can do
Allen Park — A scream can mean a lot of things: Pain, excitement, even fear. For Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki, his two vocal eruptions during Thursday’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins were celebratory and cathartic.
It’s been a frustrating offseason for the second-year player out of Utah. For starters, the injury bug won’t leave him alone. He missed time in OTAs, suffered a hamstring strain early in training camp that shelved him for a week, and had another issue last week that sidelined him for the team’s second preseason game.
The biggest developmental jump for young players often occurs between their first and second seasons. For someone like Vaki, who converted from a college safety who dabbled at running back to a full-time offense player after the Lions drafted him in the fourth round a year ago, he needs the reps even more to flatten his steep learning curve.